Ravens Tackle Adopts “Not-So-Adoptable” Dog

Let’s say you’re in the market for a dog. No one would blame you for seeking out the cutest one you could find–probably an adorably bouncy puppy who’s extremely excited about life. But that’s exactly what Ravens offensive tackle Ronnie Stanley didn’t do.

Last week, Stanley and his girlfriend visited BARCS and asked if the animal shelter had any “maybe not-so-adoptable” dogs, ones who had been at BARCS for a significant amount of time. As the shelter recounted in a Facebook post, he quickly fell in love with a dog named Winter:

Beautiful Winter is a dog who has spent most of her six years of life falling into sad, unfortunate situations. She was found on a vacant property, on a hot day with no electricity, or open windows. She was dehydrated and extremely frightened. Winter has a long, hanging belly, mostly likely a result of over breeding–something we see far too often at our shelter. Due to her age, her belly is not something that will ever tighten up. Female dogs with such characteristics are often passed by in our shelter–but not by Ronnie!

Stanley took BARCS’s mandated adoption class that day and brought Winter–now re-named Lola–home with him. “It’s going great. It’s everything I wanted it to be when I wanted to adopt a dog. She’s very loyal, protective and loving,” he told the Sun. This story makes a lovely counterpoint to another, sadder account of a Ravens tackle and a dog.